


Opalescent

by A_nonymous_000



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, Alternate Universe - Mythology, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-15
Updated: 2019-02-09
Packaged: 2019-08-23 20:54:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 1,511
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16626266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_nonymous_000/pseuds/A_nonymous_000
Summary: A very small collection of my art and writings for Pearlmethyst Week 2k18.Mostly centered around my Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse/Mythology AU.





	1. #5- Horse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I don't know, either. 
> 
> This AU is primarily centered around the Diamonds, so I couldn't resist throwing in small mentions of them. Pearl can talk about Famine/White (and Pink, though she never served her) but avoids White as much as possible. Death is Blue Diamond, if anyone is wondering. 
> 
> Kudos, comments, and concrit are appreciated!

_HORSE_

_Amethyst ponders the animal kingdom._

 

“Hey Pearl, do you ever, like, wonder what it’s like to be a horse?”    
Pearl, amused, rolls over to her side.    
“No. Now why is that?”  

“I’ve just been thinking. They pull all our chariots, and the Horsemen ride on them. Humans used to use them so much-- but they don’t anymore. They’re mostly just people’s pets” 

 

To this, Pearl is quiet for a moment. The she speaks. 

 

“Well,” she starts, slowly,” “Humans have always changed to use what they think benefits them the most. But Bedivere has always been one of my closest companions, ever since I became immortal.”   
  


“Yeah, I know,” Amethyst nods. “Goop is with me almost everywhere I go. And he’s  _ great.  _ But like, what would it be like to actually  _ be _ one? And not even one of ours. Like, a bona fide human horse.”    
  
Pearl sits up at her partner’s questions, her face slowly morphing into one of deep thinking. 

 

“I think…” She pauses. “Well for one you’d eat lots of grass, and hay, if you were taken care of by humans. Though I believe they feed them pellets now, and medical supplements. If they’re ill.”    
  
“You got that right,” Amethyst adds. Once I tried some of the high quality stuff. It wasn’t too bad.”  

 

Pearl grimaces.

 

“You’d give me apples though. And sugar cubes.”    
  
“I would. But not too many sugar cubes, it would still be bad for you.”    
  
Pearl suddenly wrinkles her nose as she continues talking. “This is truly a disgusting matter, but horses have some of the healthiest fecal matter on Earth. Their diet is composed only of grains and greens-- so I believe it might also be good for the environment. 

_ “Yet _ ,” she quickly adds, narrowly avoiding a prompt from her partner, “They’re also very fragile. When I still served… the Horsemen, poor Bedivere only made it so far sometimes because he too was immortal. Rose has told me that lots of time humans have to put them down for the slightest reasons--” a wave of her hand-- “humans have this ridiculous expression, “healthy as a horse.” You wouldn’t like that. And oh!,” she continues, “horses have a pecking order. They have a social hierarchy, like a pyramid structure. That makes  _ me _ happy I’m not one,” she chuckles.    
  
“Yeah,” Amethyst replies, thinking it over. “That seems pretty lousy. What if I’m on the bottom again? Maybe if my Famethyst were also horses they’d look out for me, but I’ve been there already. He _ llo _ , not going back.” 

 

‘But while we’re at it,” Pearl breathes, “What’s it like to have shapeshifted one so many times? Come to think of it by now I would think you had some of the brain she one,” she laughs, lightly tapping her partner. “And I think the humans always have a good time with you around.”    
  
Amethyst chuckles at that. “Oh yeah, Pierogi. I was actually hanging out with some the day I nabbed some pellets. Goop liked them, too-- I’ll probably have to go back to get him some more. 

 

“Sometimes when we go out into the country, the humans’ kids like to ride on us. They’re actually pretty fun to be around. I mean, they don’t always figure out what “personal space”  is, but it’s nice to hear them laugh. Though,” Amethyst says, glancing at Pearl, sometimes I think some of them get the feeling that I’m not a real horse. That we’re not… human Or horse.” 

 

There’s a beat in the air before Amethyst continues. 

 

“Oh-- but last month we found this massive swamp, and it was  _ so _ much fun to explore it. You would’ve hated it-- but like, you couldn’t even see the bottom, it was so murky, and there were so many animals to shift into and the humidity was  _ great _ .” 

 

“...Even though Death’s drowns people when she’s not terrorizing people on foot,” Amethyst adds, her expression a mix between a grimace and a crooked smile. 

 

Pearl’s own face darkens in response, before she sighs lightly.    
  
“I guess we’re just not made for such things. I suppose we’ll never know.”    
  
“Well. I had fun listening to you,” Amethyst replies, leaning against her partner.    
  
Somewhere far away, Goop rests his head over Bedivere’s neck, who murmurs in response. 


	2. #6- Treasures

_ TREASURES _

_  
__Pearl and Amethyst have different ways of organizing their treasures._

_ Messing with them is another way to show appreciation.  _

 

If you entered the temple of Self Image, you’d find masses, piles and piles of junk everywhere. 

 

Maybe not junk. Objects. 

 

Objects that once held meaning to their owners: There’s lots of toys, well-loved from years of cuddles and playtime. Old records. The odd photograph-- looking at it brings back foul memories to the owner, but it was from a significant time of their life, and that’s what makes it worthy. It’s also not uncommon for makeup and skincare products to turn up. Though Self Image usually just eats those. 

  
She calls it “Organized chaos,” she “Likes everything where I can see it. It’s a  _ system _ , P.”   
  
(Sometimes things go missing, reappearing neatly placed atop a pedestal or leaning against a wall. Sometimes they become grouped together by time period, or in alphabetical order. It’s out of place in such a trove). 

 

Amethyst, as she’s known to her compatriots, is something of a trickster god. 

 

You’re not sure if the woman you passed in the shops, the one with the purple eyes and raspy laugh, was entirely human. But people say if you visit the temple of Self Image, you’ll hear distant conversation and feel the wind in your hair. 

 

If you ever met her, and asked her to conjure an object at will, she’d excitedly disappear into her mountains; returning only seconds later with something dusty, something polished, something in between. The doll’s colours have long faded, but it’s stitching has never torn. The photo of the old lovers was ripped in half, but taped back together before being offered to one of the charioteers.    
  
And with each artefact, Self Image will gladly tell you the story behind it. 

 

Amethyst sometimes finds it boring to find her stuff rearranged. Yet she appreciates the gesture, and always gains a little spring in her step. 

  
  


\--

 

Everything has a place in Liberty’s temple. Some say she spends time in her place of worship just to clean it. Others say that’s ridiculous, surely she has better things to do. 

 

(Sometimes the pearls deposited in her sacred waters will end up glittering on the high shelves. Sometimes bits of debris-- footprints, petals, _ creams _ , litter the hallways, a stark contrast to the quiet atmosphere). 

 

Pearl has long forgotten what it’s like to be human, and she hardly makes herself known to many. Though sometimes, if you’re very lucky, the song of the dove above you sounds a little sweeter than the others. 

  
Still, Pearl hums to herself as her long fingers glide over her favourite possessions. The polished gleam of the sword dedicated from the revolutionary war soldier when the war had ceded. The soft fabric of the small flag: green, white, orange. She’s placed the beautiful antique harp next to it. And all the shining trophies, they have their own case. (Freedom isn’t the same thing as victory, but a spade’s a spade. She appreciates the sentiment nonetheless). 

 

Pearl doesn’t like her weaponry being touched, so it never fades. But she thinks the pearls look nice next to the marble statues. And even if the creams take forever to erase from the hardwood flooring, Pearl will happily spend a whole afternoon dusting the temple, casting out floral litter and dirt. 

  
  


\--

  
  


Far away, in a place between the here and now, two forms sit together. The taller figure gently pushes aside a mass of soft white hair to place a cherry blossom behind her ear; the shorter hides her face, blushing at the gesture.

“You’re so beautiful,” the ivory-skinned goddess whispers. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.” 

Her counterpart’s blush intensifies for a moment before her face splits into a grin, granting an enthusiastic peck to the former’s lips.    
“You know what, P?” she asks.

“Yes?” her darling hums. 

“With all we do with our material things, I think you’re my favourite. You’re my best treasure.”    
“P” now issues a kiss, as she whispers, grinning,    
“You’re mine too.”    
  



	3. #4- Free Day

 

I'M BACK, BITCHES!

I am deeply sorry about the long hiatus this work went through. Initially, I was bombarded with school projects (and just before finals at that), followed by a couple of depressive episodes, and then I just didn't have the motivation to create Pearlmethyst. (At this point it's not even Pearlmethyst Week, but Pearlmethyst.)

Luckily I have overcome that hurdle, so Opalescent shouldn't go on another hiatus. I can't promise when the next update will be, but granted, it should be less than a month. The rest of this work will focus on art, not writing; though you might have to tilt your computer screen back, or darken it, if the colour seems faded. I hope you enjoy.

\--

Day #4- OPAL!!!!!!!!

 

 

 

 

 


	4. #7- Reflections

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're back to the myth AU!  
> This one was a DOOZY. Do you ever have something turn out great in your prelim sketches and then so-so in the final? Yeah. Also, I know Pearl and Amethyst should be upside-down and closer to Ponythyst and Pearl-dove, but they just didn't look right. (Or at least in my prelims, they didn't). Sorry.
> 
> This was my favourite of the Pearlmethyst Week prompts though, so I hope you enjoy this as much as I! 
> 
> As always, tilt your screen back to see the full colour.


End file.
